Elsa von Spielburg
Elsa von Spielburg is the daughter of Stefan von Spielburg and sister of Barnard von Spielburg. Her mother, the Baroness von Spielburg, died during Elsa's birth. She has always had an interest in combat and adventuring, and as such is one of the more skilled combatants in all of Gloriana. History From an early age, and despite the disapproval she received for such behavior, Elsa watched the Weapons Master practice and frequently asked him for lessons in swordplay. She was a favorite of many of the residents of Castle Spielburg, particularly that of the jester Laspo Yorick. Elsa was eight years old when Baba Yaga unleashed her curse upon the baron. Shortly thereafter, an unknown winged creature snatched Elsa from the castle's courtyard and vanished with the girl. Though this creature remains unknown, it is clear it was not a dragon and may even have been Baba Yaga's Chicken Hut itself. Search parties were sent out, hoping for any sign of the girl, but none could be found. Rise to Power Elsa was enchanted by the curse to have no memories of her life before she was found by the Spielburg Brigands that ran amok in the valley. The Brigands were disorganized and little more than a nuiscance to local authorities. Yet, they raised Elsa and trained her in combat. Yorick discovered the young girl among the brigands, and so adopted the identity of the "Brigand Warlock" in order to keep an eye on her, and protect her from the Brigands as she grew older. During her childhood, Elsa found the young Toro in the woods. Though he was only a calf, she brought him back to the Brigand Fortress. The two became friends and constantly protected each other. With the aid of Toro and Yorick, it did not take Elsa long to become the fiercest member of the Brigands. She began to train them, oranize them, and become the Brigand Leader. Although this made the Brigands a much more dangerous force, she always warned them not to hurt the people of the town of Spielburg. When that rule was broken and Heinrich Pferdefedern was wounded in an attack, the Brigand Leader ordered him brought to Amelia Appleberry for healing. Perhaps it was this that caused a small amount of unrest amongst the Brigands, and a plot to overthrow her was hatched by Bruno and Brutus. Yorick saw things becoming much more dangerous for Elsa and became even more protective. In the meantime, Elsa continued to lead the Brigands who robbed nearly every traveler that entered the valley, including the merchant Abdulla Doo. So You Want to be a Hero? An unknown Hero was able to enter Spielburg Valley without any trouble due to the avalanche that followed in behind him. His heroics caught the attention of nearly every person in the valley, including the Brigand Leader. She heightened security at the Brigand Fortress, placing Toro at the gates. The Hero managed to bypass Toro, all the brigands in the fortress, and Yorick's Maze. When he reached the Brigand Leader's Office, she drew her sword.... but not in time to avoid being splashed by the dispel potion he had concocted. The enchantment was lifted, and Elsa's mind returned to her. Restored, she and Yorick fled back to Castle Spielburg. Hero of Spielburg After the Hero left the valley as the Hero of Spielburg, Elsa took advantage of her former position to find and clear out all of the remaining Brigands. She also found Toro, and brought him to Castle Spielburg to live with her. When the valley was truly free of the ruffians, Baron Stefan von Spielburg gave the title of Hero of Spielburg to Elsa. Soon, Stefan retired and gave his position to Barnard -- his eldest child and only son. Barnard viewed Elsa as an unrefined troublemaker, he frowned upon her continued combat practice and her adventurous nature. She did not approve of her friendship with Toro even moreso. As such, when Minos arrived in search of an adventurer to bring with him to Silmaria, Elsa leapt at the chance to go. She and Toro set sail on Minos' ship immediately. Dragonfire While Silmaria awaited the beginning of the Rites of Rulership, Elsa entered the competition at the Silmarian Arena on Nob Hill. She also spent much of her time in the Silmarian Adventurers Guild where Toro had recently become guildmaster. When the Hero arrived to be her competition, the two became friends as well as competitors both in the Arena and in the Rites. The Rite of Freedom did not go well for her, thanks to the meddling of Minos who insisted that she use his ship. The large vessel, however, alerted the Hesparian Mercenaries to her arrival. The Rite of Conquest also did not fare well, as the Prince of Shapeir reached the Sifnos Fortress before any other candidate. During the Rite of Valor, the two worked together to defeat the Hydra of Hydra Island. In the Hydra's Cave, Elsa discovered a magical bow, which she kept. *The Hero may have allowed her to keep the Hydra's Teeth and win the Rite. The next Rite, the Rite of Destiny saw Elsa easily reach the Isle of Delos aboard one of Minos' ships, and have her fortune told by the Sibyl of Delos. Perhaps it was this that first made Elsa suspicious of Minos. Just after the Rite of Peace, Elsa confessed her suspicions to the Hero. *If the Hero is a thief, Elsa asked him to enter Minos' Estate and steal the Real Blackbird from him -- as Elsa had brought it with her to Silmaria -- while she searches for clues. During the last Rite, the Rite of Justice, Minos imprisoned Elsa to prevent her from talking. The Hero was able to reach her and free her, and together the two battled Minos' mercenaries. Finding himself defeated, Minos killed himself to break the Prophecy Stone and release the Dragon of Doom. Elsa and the Hero were magically transported to the dragon, where Elsa hesitantly requested that Toro also be brought along to help. The three of them, along with Gort (and potentially Katrina or Erana) battled the Dragon of Doom and defeated it. *Elsa survived the battle unless the Hero casts Thermonuclear Blast to make short work of the Dragon, in which case no one survives the battle. At the Hall of Kings afterwards, Elsa is one of the people named a Champion of Silmaria. *If the Hero refused the crown, Elsa is crowned King of Silmaria instead. *It is possible for the Hero and Elsa to get married as well. If this happens, they agree to rule the kingdom together (no matter who accepts the crown). Non-Canon Dark Paladins Elsa accepted the Crown of Silmaria after Devon Aidendale refused it. The Fate of the Dark Master Elsa survives the battle against the Dragon of Doom, fighting alongside Devon and Erana. Real World Elsa von Spielburg is a character in Quest for Glory I: So You Want to be a Hero? and Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire. She appears in the fanfiction stories "Dark Paladins" and "The Fate of the Dark Master". External Links *Quest for Glory Omnipedia Category:Quest for Glory Characters Category:QfG1 Characters Category:QfG5 Characters Category:Quest for Glory Allies Category:Spielburg Members Category:Inhabitants of Spielburg Valley Category:Kingdom of Silmaria Members Category:Silmarian Adventurers Guild Members Category:Inhabitants of the Med Sea Category:Von Spielburg Family Members Category:QfG Noble Characters Category:QfG King Characters Category:QfG Fighter Characters Category:QfG Thief Characters Category:QfG Adventurer Characters Category:QfG Human Characters Category:Champions of Silmaria Category:Rites of Rulership Competitors Category:QfG Reoccuring Characters